Finding purpose in the pain…

Meet Ina…

There was a time when Ina believed her life was too broken to be restored. Too many mistakes. Too many years lost. Too much distance—from her family, and from God. But sometimes, God meets us in the very place we thought was the end. For Ina, it came through a final request… from her dying father.

Author Tom Davidson

On the surface, it looked like there was nothing left to save. Ina had spent years running—from her past, her pain, and ultimately, herself. Addiction had taken hold early, leading her down a road marked by broken relationships, prison sentences, and a deep, unshakable sense of being unwanted.

But everything changed with one moment she never expected.

Life has a way of opening our eyes to the brokenness of life and the choices we make. But a loving and heavenly Father takes those moments to led us to himself.

“We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose”

~ Romans 8:28

A Life Shaped by Rejection.

Growing up, Ina always felt like the outsider. Her older sister seemed to do everything right, earning the love and approval Ina longed for but never felt she received. Over time, that emptiness turned into anger—and that anger into choices she couldn’t undo.

“I was the black sheep,” she would later say. “I didn’t know how to be anything else.”

Drugs became her escape. Then her identity. What started as a way to cope became a cycle she couldn’t break—leading to felony convictions, multiple prison terms, and years of separation from the people who mattered most.

Ina grew up as the “black sheep” of her family. Her older sister was favored, leaving Ina to get recognition the only way she knew how: by acting out. Eventually, she became addicted to hard drugs, leading to several felony convictions and prison terms.

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh”

~ Ezekiel 36:26

Rock Bottom Came Quietly.

It wasn’t a dramatic collapse that finally stopped her. It was a call. After being released from prison, Ina returned home—not for a fresh start, but for a goodbye. Her father was dying. And in those final days, something shifted.

There, in the stillness of grief and unfinished conversations, Ina began to see clearly for the first time in years. The pain, the choices, the distance—it all caught up with her. But so did something else­ – a quiet pull back toward faith.

A Turning Point She Didn’t See Coming.

Ina hadn’t just been estranged from her family. She had been running from God.

But in one of the hardest seasons of her life, she began to open her heart again. What started as a small step—just a willingness to listen—became something more. A surrender.

“We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him…”

~ Romans 8:28

Soon after, Ina found her way to Lifespring Center, the women’s ministry of Wayside Cross Ministries. It wasn’t just a shelter.  It was something she had been searching for her entire life.

Here, Ina found peace and acceptance after a lifetime of feeling unwanted and inadequate. Although she had wandered far from grace, God’s love for her had never wavered. His mercy was freely offered

“Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants”

~ Deuteronomy 32:2

“The love I was trying to seek as a child, I never found until I got here to Lifespring,” Ina says.  Today, she is sharing the love of Jesus Christ with other Lifespring residents, leading a class on the gospel of John.

A Place Where Broken Lives Begin Again.

At Lifespring, Ina found more than a bed or a program. She found acceptance. After years of feeling like she didn’t belong anywhere, she was surrounded by people who understood her story—and didn’t turn away from it. Here, recovery wasn’t just about sobriety. It was about transformation.

“The love that I was trying to find as a child… I finally found here,” Ina says.

Through faith-based counseling, community, and daily encouragement, she began to rebuild what addiction had taken. Not just her life—but her identity.

At Wayside Cross Ministries, hurting neighbors in need like Ina are not met with condemnation or pity. Instead, they are greeted with the compassion of a family who understands struggle. They are offered not just a meal, but a message of hope: God is not done with them yet.

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you…”

~ Ezekiel 36:26

Here, the broken pieces of their lives can be restored. With arms open wide, we say to all who come: “You are forgiven. You are loved. You are welcome here, just as you are. You are part of the family.”

From Lost to Leading Others

Today, Ina is no longer defined by her past. She’s helping others rewrite theirs. At Lifespring, she now leads a class on the Gospel of John—guiding women who are walking the same painful road she once traveled.

Her Story isn’t just about recovery.
It’s about redemption.

Now she is working full time ad saving for a home of her own. Thanks to you, she is rediscovering the words of the profit Jeremiah:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”

Hope Is Closer Than You Think…

Across the United States, thousands of women are facing the same battles Ina once did—addiction, homelessness, broken families, and despair.

But stories like hers are a reminder: No one is too far gone.

At Wayside Cross Ministries, women are met not with judgment, but with compassion—and the chance to start again. Every meal served, every bed provided, every prayer lifted is part of a larger story of transformation. And stories like Ina’s are still being written every day.

Be Part of the Next Story!

There are more stories like Ina’s waiting to be told. More lives ready to be restored. Through prayer, support, and compassion, you can help someone take their first step toward hope—and toward God.

Because sometimes, all it takes…
is one moment, one invitation,
and one touch of grace
to change everything.

Thank you for supporting the work of this ministry
to rebuild lives on the solid foundation for Christ.
Your prayers and support are lifegiving.

Give Hope. Transform one more life today!

If you liked Ina’s story, you may enjoy these stories too.